When it was announced late last year that the U.S. Marines would face the British Royal Marines in a boxing match for the first time ever in the UK, Sgt. Kemuel Sanchez was a bit of a skeptic. Born and raised in the Bronx, Sanchez thought it sounded too good to be true.

His initial skepticism turned into reality this week when the 1st Marine Division boxing team landed in London where it will face the Brits Tuesday night at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. Sanchez will compete as a 126-pound featherweight.

“I was one of those who thought, ‘I’ll believe it when we’re on the plane,’” Sanchez told the Post from London. “Then the moment came and it was like ‘this is actually happening.’ The feeling was incredible and the support we’ve received from the officers and fellow marines has been tremendous.”

Sanchez, 25, is one of eight U.S. Marines who will be competing against the British Royal Marines in what’s being called The Rumble across the Atlantic. It is the first major exhibition since the All-Marine Boxing Team disbanded in 2012 due to injuries, budget cuts and difficulty finding qualified participants. A program that has produced boxing icons like Mills Lane, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks was revived last October and the team has been training in earnest since January.

“Although the Royal Marines are our brothers in arms, we still want to take them down,” said Sgt. George Camden, a co-captain on the team from Flint, Mich. “Our coaches say that these matches are meant to foster camaraderie and showcase to the rest of the world our commitment to training and operational readiness. But I think everyone just wants to see a good old-fashioned rumble in the ring; the Brits versus the Yanks.”

Sanchez is eager to get into the ring and earn his first victory after two defeats. He is like most of the fighters on the roster. A Marine for six years, he has some experience on the amateur level, having competed in the Diamond Gloves in New Jersey. He fights now because he loves the sport and the chance to represent the Marines and his country. “I’ve boxed before, but never really had the management until now to where I’ve been able to compete further,” he said. “I love it because this is a sport where you’re constantly being challenged by yourself and someone else.”

The Marines blend the boxing amid their other operational duties. Sanchez, who works in the Mariners Special Operations Command, wakes up about 5:30 a.m. and does 2 1/2 hours of cardio and strength conditioning. Afternoon workouts are spent on mits, bag work and sparring. “Nobody was told, ‘Hey, you have to go box.’ Everybody loves the sport,” Sanchez said. “The unity and the camaraderie is extremely tight. Everybody wants to be here.”

The Yanks and their British foes got together for dinner earlier this week. It was the calm before the storm. The Royal Marines are a storied group with roots to the 17th Century. They are the big brothers in this battle.

“They received us with open arms,” Sanchez said. “It was ‘Hello mate’ and ‘Hello lad.’ We deploy opts together and here we are fighting each other in their hometown. There’s no hard feelings or stare downs or anything like that. It’s going to be a great night of fights. I think the real winner is going to be the public and boxing programs.”

The Rumble across the Atlantic will be streamed live on May 8 on the 1st Marine Division Facebook page. Proceeds will go to help families of Royal Marines. A warm-up event was held on May 3 with the U.S. Marines winning three of the eight matches. Sanchez took a loss but expects better things ahead.

“It’s difficult pulling guys from other units and making this their main focus,” Sanchez said. “But I think the USA has some of the best fighters because of how diverse it is. You have Jamaican fighters, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans … the talent that’s brewing in the U.S. is great. This team is coming back and there will be more competitions to come.”